​Description

​Japan's funding reality is unique and requires a combination of revenue generation, loans, subsidies, grants, and venture capital. While this latter is usually the target of venture-scale startups, most founders leave significant amounts of non-dilutive capital on the table:

• ​Unsecured JFC loans up to ¥72 million from day one of incorporation.

• ​Government subsidies covering 50–67% of equipment, marketing, and R&D costs.

• ​Credit-guarantee-backed bank loans with no personal guarantee.

​And all of these stack: you can pursue loans, grants, and equity simultaneously through independent systems.

​In this session, you'll learn the complete funding lifecycle unique to Japan and the "package approach" that experienced founders use to layer non-dilutive capital before (or alongside) raising equity. Nobuji Kanai of KANAI&CO, a USCPA and former Goldman Sachs executive who recently has helped startups secure ¥90M+ in combined loans and subsidies, will share the practical playbook, real case studies, and the specific programs you should be applying to right now.

​Plus: A first look at our grant discovery and application platform being built to streamline this process for founders in the Tokyo AI ecosystem and beyond.

​What you'll walk away with:

• ​A clear map of Japan's funding instruments and which ones match your stage

• ​The "package approach": how to combine JFC loans, subsidies, grants, and equity strategically

• ​Case studies from securing ¥48M+ in JFC loans and ¥40M+ in subsidies

• ​A 90-day action plan to start accessing non-dilutive capital immediately

​Who should attend:

• ​Startup founders at any stage operating in Japan (pre-revenue through growth)

• ​International entrepreneurs launching or considering Japan

• ​Founders who've been told "subsidies are only for Japanese companies" (they're not)

• ​Anyone currently fundraising who wants to reduce dilution with public capital

• ​Accelerator graduates looking for post-program funding strategies

​​Agenda

​​18:30 Doors open

​​19:00 - 20:00 Presentations

​​20:00 - 21:00 Networking & Food & Drinks

​​21:00 Doors close

​Speaker - Nobuji Kanai

​Bio: Nobuji Kanai is the founder of KANAI&CO, a Tokyo-based consulting firm specializing in helping non-Japanese startups navigate Japan’s funding ecosystem. A US-certified CPA with experience at Goldman Sachs, UBS, and Deloitte, Nobuji brings institutional-grade financial expertise to the startup world. His track record includes guiding an Israeli-Japanese startup (SivanS Lab) to a ¥48 million JFC loan approval and ¥40 million in subsidy grants, as well as supporting multiple non-Japanese founders through JFC applications, small business subsidies, and strategic business planning. Nobuji’s mission is to become Japan’s leading advisor for global startups, bridging the knowledge gap that prevents international founders from accessing Japan’s robust public financing infrastructure.

​​Organizers

​​​​​​​Ilya Kulyatin is an entrepreneur with work and academic experience in the US, Netherlands, Singapore, UK, and Japan. He holds a BA in Economics, an MA in Finance, and an MSc in Machine Learning. He's a 3x founder, now helping Japan grow the local AI ecosystem through a not-for-profit community, Tokyo AI (TAI), while building an AI-native system integrator and solutions provider, Foundry Labs株式会社.

​​Supporters

​​​​Tokyo AI (​​​TAI) is the biggest AI community in Japan, with 4,000+ members mainly based in Tokyo (engineers, researchers, investors, product managers, and corporate innovation managers).

​​​Value Create is a management advisory and corporate value design firm offering services such as business consulting, education, corporate communications, and investment support to help companies and individuals unlock their full potential and drive sustainable growth.

​Antler is the world's most active early-stage investor — cited as the #1 most active AI investor globally in 2024 by Dealroom — with a community of 12,000+ founders across 27 cities worldwide. Antler Japan is now accepting applications for its 6th Inception Program, beginning May 11, 2026.

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